Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



M. J. G l AGER 8v W. H. GLADDING.

BGH LOADING PIREARM.

No. 24,730. Patented July 12, 18594 UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE.V

M. J. GALLAGER AND WM. H. GLADDING, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

IMPROVEMENT INv BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 211.730, dated July 12,1859.

To all whom tm/ty concern/ Be it known that we, MAHLON J. GALLAGEB. andWILLIAM H. GLADDING, of Savannah, in the county of Chatham and State ofGeorgia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements inBreech-Loading Fire-Arms; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull,

clear, and exact description of the sameref erence being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this Specification, in which.-

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through the gnn when chargedwith the cartridge and ready to be fired. Fig. 2 represents a similarsection through the gun when it is putin position for receiving acartridge, the breech being opened for thatpnrpose. Fig. 3 represents aside view and a section of one of the cartridges which we propose touse.

Our invention consists inthe peculiar form of that part of the bore ofthe gun or breechpiece which constitutes the chamber for containing thecartridge.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill proceed to de scribe the samewith reference to the drawings. Arepresents the stock of the gun, and B the l barrel, which may be of anywell-known form or material. The barrel is pivoted or hinged to thestock at or near the point a, so that the rear end of the barrel mayrise up, as shown in Fig. 2, which requires said hinge to be forward ofthe joint between the barrel and thel breech of the gun.

O is the breech of the gun. It is hinged at b to the end of the barrelB, and moves with the barrel when it is raised or lowered. The rear endof the barrel, and behind its bore, is formed into a chamber having theform of a frustum of .a cone, as seenat D, though it may have the formof a section of a parabolic spindle, it being necessary only that saidchamber should be larger at its rear than at its forward end, and it isimmaterial whether the boundaries of the chamber between these points beright-lined or curved; and where the chamber meets the bore of the gun,as at c, there may be a slight shoulder; or it may terminate Without theshoulder, though we prefer the shoulder. The breech-piece C iscountersunk, so as to form a chamber somewhat in the shape of a sectionor, rather, piece of a parabolic spindle, or of'a half-egg form, as seenat E, Fig.- 2, -the base or larger partofthis chamber lor countersinkbeing next the base of the chamber D in the barrel, and of equal size|or diameter with it, so that when the hinged breech C is closed upagainst the barrel the semi-chamber in each shall formonechamber of la'form thatv will 'receive a cartridge-case, e, such as represented inFigs. 1, 3, or of substantially that for-n1.

The opening and closing and locking of the breech are` effected asfollows: A projection, F, on the under side of the barrel, that has' acatchpiece, f, on'it, passes through an opening, H, in

lthe metal part G of the -stock. Underneath the stock is pivotedat g alever, I, which may be so bent as to form the trigger-guard, vthe ,rear

end of which swings under a stationary catch,

t', in the after part ofthe stock. The front part of this lever swingsin onto the catch-piecef,Y and thus firmly locks down the barrel andbreechpiece to the stock. Other fastenings, of course,may be devised foreffecting this obj ect.` The one we show is simple and effe'zctive..`

There may be a second projectingvpiece, J, on the under side of thebarrel,I which snugly ts into the mortise or opening K in the metallicpart G of the stock or mounting, the objectfp'f this being to make astrong and reliable union between the barrel and stock; and this isfurther ei'ected by causing the rear of the hinged breech-piece Cto comeup snugly to the metallic piece Lonv the stock A. The joints" thus allbear tightly against each other, and there is no weak point in theconnection, as the joints are all broken or covered by solid inaterialhorizontal or vertical to their line.

The cartridge-case e may be made of paper, wood, or metal. If of paperorwood, they may have alight metallic band, h, around them; but thoughthe case is swelled out on its outer perimeter, as shown in thedrawings, its chamber is cylindrical and 'of they same diameterthroughout.

j is the charge of powderin the cartridgecase, and k the ball, which istightly inserted in its open end, and is of .the Mini form,

or pointed. The cap a or other thing which ignites the powder is placedinside of the cartridge, and a pin or rod,m, is set in said cap, andextends through the cartridge-case, upon which rod the hammer M fallsyand explodesthe cap or other priming and ignites the powder.

At the joint between the rear of the barrel and the front of the hingedbreech-piece there is a small opening, o, half of it formed in each ofsaid pieces, through which the rod m projects, and the rod thus forms agage for the extent ofentrance of the forward part of the cartridge intothe barrel, and the recess in the end,

of the barrel forms a gage for the position of the rod, so that thehammer shall strike it centrally and fairly.

The cartridge-ease e closely fills the chamber formed for it in thebarrel and the breechpiece, and remains in its chamber when-the chargecontained in it is fired, so' that .it may be used over and over again.It isl evident from the enter forni of the cartridge-ease that it cannotbe driven out of its cham ber, though it may be forced forward slightly,Which tends more closel y to pack the joint between the barrel and thebreech, andthns prevent the escape of the gases or of any of the forceof the charge. 4

Instead of the notch o in the barrel being the gage for the pin m tocome against, a separate and'adjnstable gage, r, may be attached to thebarrel, and the face of the hammer may be so made as that when the armhas been discharged, and the lever I swung out, so as to release thebarrel, andthe barrel raised up,

the hammer continuing in contact with the rod m, it may draw out thecartridge-ease from the barrel.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of our invention, whatwe claim therein as new, and desire to secure by yLetters Patent, is

Forming the chamber in the barrel and breech of the gun of the shape oftwo frustums of cones or of -a frustum of aconc, and a section of aparabolic spindle, whose bases meet at or near the line of the jointbetween said barrel and breech, for the purpose of eontaining acartridge-case of the form substantially as that herein represented.

Witnesses:

Jos. M. PRENTIss, N. L. Cos'rn.

